Kingdom Hearts: Tales of the Thirteen
by Pegasus Knight Salvo
Summary: Kingdom Hearts/FFTA crossover, this was spurred on by a random idea. Sora meets Aisen 13...
1. Chapter 1

_Kingdom Hearts: Ivalice_

_(A/N: Salvo here, with yet another fanfic… This one is a crossover of Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced. The Characters used are not my own, except for two, Lazuli and Mei. The other characters from FFTA are from a forum known as the Legendary Search. This story is dedicated to the people who allowed me to do this._

_And hereeeee we go~)_

_(A/N 2.0: Time moves quicker here than in other worlds. Years will pass here in this fanfic, yet Sora & company won't age.__ )_

Chapter One: The Soldier's Tourney 

_Heading towards the next world to eliminate heartless and look for the King and Riku, was Sora, Donald, and Goofy. As they head there, their Gummi Ship encounters troubles and ejects the trio prematurely. As they fall to the world, they end up getting separated and end up in three different locations…_

"Whooooooooooooooa!" Sora shouted as he fell to the ground. He landed in a tree and tumbled to the ground, collapsing in a heap, his keyblade beside him. "Oww…." Groaning in pain, Sora staggered to his feet; and finally opened his eyes.

He seemed to be near a peaceful village. He bent down to pick up the keyblade and noticed that his attire had changed. He was wearing mostly blue clothing with a blue beret and a cape. The shirt had a high collar. The fabric seemed to be sturdy, at least.

Brushing leaves and dirt out of his hair with his hands, he turned around to find himself face to face with a large red panther with the heartless insignia on its chest. It growled at him threateningly. Sora grinned and got into a fighting position. "Bring it! C'mon, Donald! Goofy!" He said, looking over his shoulder to see if his friends were there, but blanched when he realized that they weren't. He looked at the panther, which seemed a lot more dangerous now, and gave his best glare. "I guess it's all me, then!" He said, charging at the heartless, keyblade in hand. Suddenly, an arrow came out of nowhere and struck the panther in the chest, destroying the heartless.

"C'mon, you idiot! It's almost time for the tourney!" A boy about Riku's age exclaimed, grabbing a protesting Sora's wrist and dragging him along, away from appearing heartless. Sora looked at him and his eyes widened. "Riku?" He asked as they came to a stop in a clearing.

"Riku…? Who's that?" The Riku look-alike asked, looking at Sora with a confused expression on his face, his shockingly white hair moving out of his eyes, which were brown, unlike Riku's. Sora's face fell. "Oh…sorry… You looked like someone I knew…" Sora replied, grinning sheepishly.

The white haired kid laughed. "Well, I've never looked like someone else before! My name's Leonard and I am the best Hunter in all of Ivalice!" Leonard stated proudly.

A girl's soft voice cut off Leonard's bragging. "Oh, quit boasting! You only just became a Hunter! And besides, we need to get to the tourney!" The gentle voice said as the voice's owner walked into the clearing. The girl seemed to be wearing the same outfit that Sora was. She had bobbed blond hair and calm grey eyes. The girl looked at Sora. "Fellow Soldiers have got to stick together! My name's Lazuli! Who are you?" She said with a wide grin.

Sora grinned back. "I'm Sora!" He replied, and began to talk to the two friends about why he was here.

_30 minutes later…_

"Sorry, Sora, but I don't know of anyone who fits the descriptions you gave." Leonard said with a sigh, leaning against a nearby tree. He looked deep in thought as Lazuli suddenly gasped. "The Soldier's Tourney! A lot of Ivalicians will be there! Maybe one of them will know of Donald or Goofy!" She said excitedly.

Sora smiled. "Let's go, then!" He said, running off in a random direction. Lazuli and Leonard looked at each other with amused expressions on their faces. "He's going the wrong way…" Leonard mused, stifling laughter.

Lazuli shoved Leonard towards the direction where Sora went. "Go get him then, instead of just standing there contemplating! I'll meet you at the Giza Plains!" She said, running off on the correct path.

_At the Giza Plains…_

Lazuli clenched her fists in anticipation of her match, which was the first in the tournament. She was dressed proudly in the blue outfit of the Soldier. She was the only female in the tourney, for all the girls seemed to not like engaging others in combat, preferring to stay in the village, or become mages.

Lazuli was not an exception. She had decided long ago that she would fight only when someone engages her, and that she would not instigate a battle. The only reason she wanted to become a soldier was so that she could learn to protect her family.

With her bobbed blonde hair and kind grey eyes, Lazuli definitely looked out of place wearing the Soldier's uniform. But she had trained very hard for this moment, and was not about to lose just yet. Especially since Sora needed to look for his friends, Lazuli decided that she would win this tourney, so that she could help him in his search. Maybe with the prestige she may get with a win, the tongues of her competitors may loosen and give her information that Sora needs.

"Announcing out first match, Please welcome Lazuli and Andre to the battlefield~" The announcer called out, roars of approval sounding out in response. Lazuli gripped the hilt of her two handed sword, Luabreaker. She was not skilled in using one handed swords, but was quite competent with two handed weapons. "Alright…Here I go!" Lazuli said, walking out to the battlefield.

"Are the participants prepared?" The Judge asked. Lazuli nodded and got into a fighting position, looking at her opponent, Andre. Andre was a prodigy who wielded a broadsword and a bronze shield. In Lazuli's eyes, they were rivals.

"Aye…but you expect me to fight a girl?" Andre said, in a complaining tone. Lazuli glared at Andre. "I should say the same thing, Andre" She hissed under her breath.

The Judge looked at the two and nodded. "And let the match…Begin!" He said, blowing the whistle that all Judges had.

Since Lazuli had a higher speed, Lazuli was the one to move first. She ran at Andre full speed, gripping Luabreaker tightly. With a yell, she swung the hefty sword at Andre, who parried it with his broadsword, but was knocked back. Lazuli grinned. "Still think I'm just an average girl?" Lazuli said, her grey eyes glinting.

Andre gritted his teeth and endured the hit. "Any fool can swing a sword; let's see how you take this!" Andre replied. Now it was his turn and he charged, swinging his blade at Lazuli. Lazuli, anticipating this, dodged the attack, Andre stumbling past.

The judge blew his whistle, awarding Lazuli a JP and giving Andre a Yellow Card.

_And the battle continued._

In the stands, Sora and Leonard watched. Sora seemed more than a little miffed. "That Judge-Guy-Person wouldn't let me compete..." He said, glowering.

Leonard laughed. "Maybe next time, Sora. Let's cheer on Lazuli for now. She's been excited for this Tourney for a long time. She's been training to become a soldier since we were little kids. I, however, have never needed to train, because I am just that good at my Job." Leonard replied, not hesitating to brag about his prowess as a Hunter.

Sora nodded. "I hope she wins! But I bet I could win the Tournament with one hand tied behind my back!" He said with a grin.

Leonard laughed at this comment, and then applauded as it seemed that Lazuli would move on to the next round, the semifinals. "Oh, I'd like to see you try! Hmm….Lazuli won, but now she's up against a real toughie. What terrible luck to go against Phillip in this round!" He said, groaning and pulling his hat off in despair, his white hair resembling a sea urchin in the wild way it stood out in spikes.

"What's so special about him? He looks pretty average to me. 'Zuli can take him on!" Sora said, cheering along with the crowd.

Leonard merely shook his head, white hair covering his eyes. "Heh…Phillip…has never lost a match in five back to back Tourneys…" He said, looking at the ground, and then looked at the field, his eyes focused on Phillip. "But Lazuli has prepared for this moment she will defini—HUH? What in Mateus' name is THAT? A giant Wyrm?" Leonard began to say, his brown eyes widening as a huge heartless appeared in the combat area.

Sora grinned. "It looks like we have a new entrant who wants to compete! Let's go take it out before it harms anyone!" Sora said, jumping to his feet, keyblade ready in his hand.

Leonard nodded, dropping his hat to the ground and drawing his great bow. "Aye! Let us rid ourselves of this beast!" He said, rising to his feet.

_In the arena…_

"What is that?" Phillip exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise. Lazuli shook her head. Sure, she was tired, but the sudden appearance of a 'black fiend' (this is what she calls heartless) spiked her adrenaline, giving her more energy.

"It's a black fiend! One that consumes life! We need to distract it from the audience!" Lazuli growled, charging the Wyrmlike heartless. The Wyrm turned to her with a roar.

_And thus a great battle would ensue…_

_(End of Chapter One)_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: The Chocobo Mage

(Salvo Here! A bit of a time jump occurs, just to let you readers know. 3 years to be exact. The first part of this chapter will explain this phenomenon, hopefully…

OH! I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. If I owned either, I'd be able to afford text massaging! So please…enjoy~)

(Salvo again with an Ivalician definition

**Lizard**: a highly offensive term meaning to criticize somebody with arrogant contempt and a total disregard for his or her feelings, especially from a position of power)

_ After the Great Battle at the Soldier's Tourney, the newly formed Clan Light, consisting of Sora as the Leader, and Leonard, the second in command. Lazuli, however, decided to part ways with her friends, heading home for a visit. Or at least, where her home _was_. It was destroyed by Heartless. Her family and fellow villagers of Dhorsa were annihilated before Lazuli arrived. When she did however, she met a terrifying heartless known as the Oversoul, the one responsible for slaughtering everyone in the village. Lazuli, choosing to walk the path of a White Mage, barely fended off the attack, causing the Oversoul to retreat. Burning the remains of her former home, Lazuli left the lifeless place, the Ruins that will soon be called Jagd Dhorsa. Over the next two years, she will master the abilities of a White Mage while hunting the Oversoul mercilessly. Over this time, she has not even bothered offering to help Clan Light in its search. She soon became a Seer and continued to hunt down the murderer of her village. _

_ So caught up in her seeking revenge, she actually fought her childhood friend Leonard, accusing him of 'abandoning' the village. After injuring her friend, Lazuli ran away from Leonard and Sora in disgust of herself._

_ Deciding to let her emotions cool down, Sora and Leonard continue their search for Donald and Goofy. _

_ A year has passed since then and so far…no luck._

Sora and Leonard had just finished a quest in the Giza Plains. The job had been simple, heartless elimination. Leonard sat on the soft grass with a sigh, the veil of his Hunter's hat obscuring his eyes from view. "Ah…finally, some relaxation time. Do you think that the Moogle from Cyril is telling the truth, having seen Donald?" He asked, turning to look at Sora.

Sora nodded. "He said that a Chocobo Mage passed through, who seemed a little short tempered. It's got to be him! When we collect our reward, let's go right away!" He replied with a wide grin.

Leonard nodded, and turned grim. "He also said that Donald was being chased by someone who looked like 'Zuli… What if we have to fight her…?" He asked, his voice sounding worried.

Sora frowned. "I don't think that's her, then. She was chasing after a heartless when we…met…before. Unless she thinks Donald is a Heartless, I don't think she would chase after him." He replied.

Leonard sighed a breath of relief. "That's true. But maybe she wants to help us! She promised that she would help us." He said, standing up.

Sora smiled sadly for his friend. "Yeah…she said that before she attacked you, you know… I don't think she would want to show herself around us anymore" He replied.

Guilt and sadness flashed across Leonard's face before he resumed his cheerful expression. "Whatever, let's go before any more dratted heartless arrive. Donald awaits!" Leonard said, beginning to walk away.

"Whoa! Leonard, wait!" Sora called, chasing after him.

Lazuli caught up with the Chocobo-like mage in the middle of a nearby forest. "Stop, birdie, please!" She called after the Chocobo. The Chocobo stopped and turned to face Lazuli.

"What? And I'm not 'birdie', I'm Donald!" Donald said, glaring at Lazuli, who looked at her feet, and then gasped, eyes widening.

"Wait! Donald? Sora's…friend?" She asked, incredulous. Donald looked at her dubiously.

Donald eyes her as if she were a heartless. "You know Sora? Where is he?" He demanded with a quack.

Lazuli's eyes narrowed. "Why should I tell you? I don't even care who you are. The only thing I care about is that wherever you are, dark fiends appear. Why is that, Donald?" Lazuli replied, dodging Donald's question.

_"I don't care who either of you are, but you two better give us all your Gil!"_ A voice interrupted the two.

Donald and Lazuli whirled around to find themselves surrounded by a band of Bangaa. Donald immediately glared at Lazuli. "You drug me into this, so you better help me get rid of these Liz—" He began to say, but Lazuli clamped his beak shut.

"You idiot! Never call a Bangaa that! And besides, if push comes to shove and we have to fight, you better be useful, you bag of feathers!" She hissed, before turning to face the lead Bangaa. "How much Gil is all of our…" She said, pausing in the middle of her sentence.

The Bangaa snorted, annoyed, and stabbed his broadsword at Lazuli. "All of it, Hume! And while you're at it, give us that Chocobo! We'll sell it. Maybe we'll even give you a pillow made from its feathers!" The Bangaa said, laughing. The other Bangaa joined in on the laughter.

Donald broke free of Lazuli's grasp. "I'll show you! You stupid _Lizards_ have no right to talk like that!" Donald squacked angrily.

The group of Bangaa growled in unison and advanced towards the unlikely team.

"You'll pay dearly for that, Chocobo! We'll take your Gil…and your lives!" The Lead Bangaa roared, charging Donald, sword raised.

Blade clashed upon blade as Lazuli drew her Greatsword Luabreaker and blocked the Bangaa's attack. "Donald! Head to Cyril now! You better run, for when I finish with these creeps, I'm coming after you to make you talk!" She said, looking at Donald over her shoulder.

Donald read the look in Lazuli's eyes and nodded. Even for someone he didn't like, she certainly could get her point across. She was telling him where Sora was.

"Fine, and when you do, I'll fry you with Thundaga!" Donald retorted before running towards Cyril.

Some of the Bangaa began to give chase. Lazuli sighed and gathered her courage. "HEY, LIZARD-FREAKS! The one you want is right here!" She shouted, disengaging the Bangaa she was currently fighting and charging the ones who were starting to chase Donald. The ones she was about to attack turned to her, snarling and charged.

"And that stupid blond haired brat -Lazuli- told me to run! Oh, the indignity! It would be justice if she got beat by those Liz—" Donald fumed, but again his beak was shut by Leonard.

Leonard glared at Donald. "You fool! Never say that word! And you better be grateful that she helped you escape!" He growled, his eyes flashing dangerously.

Sora looked serious. "We need to help her! We owe her that much, at least!" He said, running off in the direction Donald came.

Donald huffed. "I'm not letting you out of my sight, Sora!" He squacked, chasing after him.

Leonard smiled to himself. "So 'Zuli is still 'Zuli after all…" He said, and then followed the two into the forest.

When they reached where Donald and Lazuli had been surrounded, they saw something that shocked them all. All of the Bangaa were knocked out, and there seemed to be a chill in the air, but alas, there was no Lazuli. They looked around and spotted something pinned to a tree.

Leonard gently took the piece of parchment off the tree. It was a note from his friend.

"_Clan Light, _

_ Yes, it is I, Lazuli. Long time no…whatever. If you are reading this, then that bad mouthed Chocobo who dragged me into this mess must have found you. It probably did him good. It looked like he needed to lose weight. Oh well, I'm joking, by the way, not that it matters._

_ What does matter is that you should not look for me. I am following a very dangerous dark fiend, and I'd rather not have your deaths on my conscience. If you do try to find me though, that is your decision._

_ I am close to confronting that which destroyed Dhorsa. Once I have destroyed it once and for all, I have one question to ask:_

_ Will you forgive me and allow me to help you…?_

_ Sincerely,_

_ Lazuli"_

Leonard said as he read the letter aloud. Donald looked furious, while Sora grinned.

"T-that stupid brat! It most definitely was NOT my fault!" Donald quacked , hopping angrily.

Sora laughed. "Ahahahaha~ So, Leonard, what do you think of us going to help Lazuli?" He asked.

Leonard grinned. "Heck yeah! We will find her and help her beat this fiend! For we are the best clan around, Clan Light!" He replied with a wide smile that mirrored Sora's friend from Destiny Islands, Riku.

(End of chapter Two)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Wanted

_(Salvo here, again! *laughs* Stuck with it this far, huh? I'm surprised! Today's shout outs are for the members of Legendary Search. I know I've done this before, but now, with their permission, I begin to introduce some of their OCs. The only ones I own in this are Lazuli and a Nu Mou about to be introduced by the name of Mei. I thank my brother Seth for graciously helping me with this and lending me his OC for this story. You know Leonard by now, right? If not, then I shall yell at you now to go __**read the first chapter**__. Wow…what a long intro…I shall not waste your time anymore, just read the chapter, please X3)_

_** "Wanted: Lazuli**_

_** Reason: Needed for Questioning about Dark Monster Outbreaks seemingly related her travels**_

_** Reward: 2400 Gil**_

_** Conditions: She must be taken alive. *caution* She is a master Mage who wields a sword. Approach with caution!**_

_** Posted By: Ivalician Palace Guard"**_

"What the hell?" Leonard exclaimed, after reading the quest. His eyes were wide as he turned to face Donald and Sora. Donald looked angry, while Sora looked just plain puzzled.

Donald quacked and hopped angrily, his Black Mage hat nearly falling off his Chocobo-like head. "See? She's always getting into trouble! She's a real brat, that one!" He squawked.

Leonard glowered at Donald. "No, she avoids conflict whenever possible! Except for now, since she's tracking down the Heartless that destroyed her Village in Dhorsa." He said with a grumble.

Sora looked at them both. "I say we take the quest. It gives us an excuse to find and help her…" He said with a nod. Leonard looked at Sora with widened eyes. "B-but the quest says to capture her! Do you think we can really do that?" He asked, his voice wavering.

Donald stomped his webbed foot. "Of course we can! Besides, if we make the heartless go away for good, then the Guard won't have any use for her! They'll have no choice but to let her go" He said confidently.

Leonard shook his head. "They'll send her to Sphrom! She won't be able to survive in prison!" He said, looking at his feet.

Sora and Donald looked at each other and nodded, grinning. "So THAT'S how it is…" Sora said, stifling laughter.

Leonard looked at Sora, shocked, understanding what he meant, with horror in his eyes. "Hey, wait a minute! 'Zuli's like a sister to me! I don't think of her that way!" He said indignantly.

Donald laughed. "Whatever you say, Leonard~" He chuckled as Leonard grew flustered.

Leonard huffed. "Let's just take the quest already, before someone else does!" He said, walking over to the bartender of the Prancing Chocobo, Cyril's Pub.

Sora and Donald were talking when a Hume and a Moogle walked up to them.

The blonde haired Hume grinned at them. "Sorry, but did I just hear that you were going to capture this Lazuli person? I apologize, but I am afraid that Lini and I are going to do that." He said, looking at an increasingly annoyed Donald.

Sora shook his head. "We already accepted the quest, so we're the ones who will get to her first!" He said, his eyes narrowing.

"Yeah, just who do you think you are, to try to take the quest away from us, huh?" Donald grouched.

The Moogle the Hume called Lini tilted his head to the side. "Did my ears deceive me, Gaol? Did that Chocobo just talk?" He said his eyes bright with curiosity.

Gaol stared at Donald. "I think it did. That's just plain odd… Anyway, I have another question to ask, kid. Are you a member of Clan Light, by chance?" He replied, looking at Sora intently, ignoring a fuming Donald.

Sora nodded. "Yes. I'm the leader. My name's Sora and this is Donald. Over by the bartender is Leonard, the third member of my Clan." Sora replied, looking at Gaol in suspicion in his eyes.

The blond Hume laughed. "Okey then! My name is Gaol, and my friend here is Lini! Since we seem to be on the same side on wanting to find the source of these Dark Monsters, why don't we cooperate together for this quest? It seems this Mage is one not to be taken lightly. So… what do you say?" He asked.

Leonard came back to the group, looking at Gaol and Lini curiosly, yet his expression was guarded. "Who are you two?" He asked bluntly.

Sora nodded in response to Gaol's offer. "That would be good! The more the merrier, right? Oh, and Leonard, these are Gaol and Lini, who want to help us with our quest, because we want the same goal." He said, introducing Leonard to Gaol and Lini, who smiled and nodded when their names were mentioned.

Leonard nodded, relaxing. "Oh, okay…the bartender says that the…target…was last seen around Dhorsa. We better prepare, because Jagd fights are always difficult. Nice to meet you, Gaol, Lini." He said, smiling at his new comrades.

Lini looked at Donald. "Are you really part Chocobo?" He quipped.

Donald shook his head "No, I'm a Duck!" he replied impatiently. Lini and Gaol looked at Donald in confusion.

"What's a…Duke?" Lini asked.

Gaol shook his head, his amber eyes glinting in wild curiosity. "He said Duck, Lini, whatever that is." He replied with a chuckle, turning to Leonard. "Jagd? This Lazuli will be in Jagd Dhorsa? Isn't that the one that appeared a few years ago, where a village used to be?" he asked.

Leonard stared at the ground. "…yeah, that's the one. Apparently our mark, Lazuli, had connections there." He said quietly, not meeting anyone's eyes.

Sora looked confused for a second. "What is a Jagd, and why is it so different fighting there than in different areas?" He asked.

Lini was the one to answer. "Jagds are lawless places. Lifeless places. Jagds are created when a terrible catastrophe occurs, like a mass loss of life. If you fall there, you cannot be revived again. All death is final in Jagds. Do you understand?" He replied in a serious tone, his cheery voice sounding grim.

Sora nodded. "So it's even better that we've teamed up!" He said, his voice sounding a little nervous.

Leonard grinned. "Yeah! We've practically got this quest in the bag! Let's get a move on already, before we lose her!" He said excitedly.

Sora laughed. "Yeah, let's!" He said, running out of the door, Donald chasing after him, yelling at him to wait up. Leonard quickly followed the two.

Gaol looked at Lini. "They are pretty spirited, this could be fun!" Gaol said with a laugh.

Lini nodded. "Definitely! I can feel it in my bones! This is going to be quite the adventure! Pray, let us follow them, and find the source of the infernal Dark Monsters!" He said, following a running Gaol out of the Pub.

_In the forest near Dhorsa_…

"Waaaaaahhhhh! Please don't eat me!" A high pitched voice squeaked as the owner of the voice ran through bushes, away from a pack of heartless. She was a red furred Nu Mou who was practically a child. She stopped and glared at her pursuers. "I command you to STOP!" She commanded, her voice wavering as her blue eyes widened as the heartless continued to pursue her.

"_Blizzaga!"_ a gentle voice called out sharply, a pillar of ice appearing in between the heartless and their prey.

The Nu Mou looked at her savior as a flash of white rushed through the shrubs, stopping in front of the Nu Mou. "Whaaaaah! I know you! You're on a wanted poster! You're a bad person! Please d-don't h-hurt me!" She yelped, backing away from the girl in the white cat hood.

The girl looked at her. "I'm on a poster? Since …when? That doesn't matter; we need to get away from here quickly. What is your name, Nu Mou?" The Hume asked; her voice calm with a hint of curiosity in it.

The Nu Mou tilted her head to the side. The Hume didn't _seem_ bad. She flinched at the howling of the frustrated heartless. "T-the name's M-Mei! Please help me…!" She said looking at the girl with pleading eyes.

The girl nodded. "I intended to help you in the first place. Every Dark Fiend within the area has heard your squeals. Mei, follow me. I know someplace safe, so we can wait out the Fiends until they head off somewhere else. My name is Lazuli. Let us go now!" She grabbing Mei's paw and running off towards Dhorsa. Mei followed Lazuli, calmed by her soothing voice.

Soon, they arrived at the Jagd. Mei looked around, terrified. "W-we will be hiding in this Jagd?" She yelped, cowering and staying close by Lazuli's side.

Lazuli smiled softly at the Nu Mou. "Do not fret. Here, I can protect you to the best of my ability. No Fiend will harm you, I promise" She replied, drawing her Great Sword.

_"Is that so, Dear Lazuli…?"_ A terrifying voice asked behind Mei's ear.

In a flash, Lazuli grabbed Mei and threw her to the side as the Oversoul attacked; and doing this made herself vulnerable. She crumpled to the ground and was surrounded by the heartless' miasma.

Mei looked at Lazuli when the miasma cleared. The Oversoul was nowhere to be seen. "L-lazuli? Are you alright?" She asked.

Silently, Lazuli stood up, her back facing Mei. "G-go away…! Run, M-mei!" Her voice said, sounding as if she was in great pain. Lazuli dropped to her knees, grabbing at her head and screaming in pain.

Scared, Mei backed up slowly, not wanting to make a sudden movement, so that she was not attacked by the miasma using Fiend.

Sora and the others ran faster when they heard the screams. When they arrived at the clearing, they saw a red furred Nu Mou backing away from Lazuli, who was shrieking in pain.

"Lazuli!" Leonard shouted, running over to his friend.

Sora and the others watched on warily as the Nu Mou ran over to them.

Lazuli's shrieks stopped abruptly. "….Lazuli…? Who is that? Are you referring to the body which is now my vessel? No matter, she is mine now!" Her voice said cruelly as she stood up and pointed her Great Sword at a shocked Leonard. Lazuli's eyes were not grey anymore, but a scarlet red. Her normally peaceful face now looked full of hatred as she glared at Leonard.

"Lazuli? What happened to you?" Leonard whispered, his eyes wide with shock.

The hateful Lazuli laughed harshly. "Lazuli is gone! I am the Oversoul and with this body as my vessel, I shall have all of your hearts!" She shrieked, charging Leonard at a speed that seemed impossible for a Hume.

"W-What?" Leonard said disbelievingly.

(End of Chapter)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: The Promise

_(Salvo here yet again.*grins* you seriously still want to read this? How touching! This is just too much fun writing~ Sora's party Vs Dark Lazuli, huh? Or is it? Hahahaha~ _

_As I always say…enjoy!)_

As Lazuli charged Leonard, Donald charged her. "Blizzaga!" Donald yelled, containing Dark Lazuli in a pillar of ice. Or so he thought. In a flash, she appeared behind Donald, red eyes glaring. "Magick Counter!" She hissed, casting Blizzaga on Donald.

"Waaaagh!" Donald cried out, becoming encased in ice.

Dark Lazuli laughed. "That was so easy, it was pathetic! I shall enjoy your death, Donald!" She hissed, raising her sword to inflict the final bow.

"C-cure!" A timid voice said behind Sora's back, and both Dark Lazuli and Donald became bathed in the green healing light. Mei glared bravely at Dark Lazuli as she recoiled from the light, pain flashing briefly across her face.

Dark Lazuli looked at Mei with her scarlet eyes, furious. "Insolent pup! Do you not realize that it is your fault my vessel became this way? By protecting you, she left her heart wide open, nice and ready to be controlled. It is your fault that you will die, Nu Mou!" Dark Lazuli said, a Dark Fiend appearing behind her as the Oversoul.

The Oversoul laughed at the shocked expressions on Sora's face. _"I don't need to be in contact with my vessel to control it. Now, adventurers, you DIE!" _The Oversoul hissed, charging at Gaol and Lini. Dark Lazuli faltered a moment, and then charged at Mei and Leonard.

Sora gritted his teeth, and got into a fighting position, keyblade at the ready. Lini looked at him curiously, but had to dodge an attack by the Heartless. "Yeah, I know, it's a keyblade, so what?" Sora said, charging Lazuli to protect Leonard and the Nu Mou.

Gaol grinned. "Leaving the ugly one to us, huh Sora? Oh well, we still better be careful!" He said drawing his twin swords Ayvuir, one blue, and one red. He slashed at the Heartless, who blocked the blows with its claws. It hissed ferociously at him, and backed away from the sharp blades.

"_Darkra!"_ The Oversoul screeched, an orb of black energy leaving its hands and launching itself at Gaol.

"Mog Guard!" Lini cried out, stepping in front of the attack, nullifying the damage with his blade.

"'Zuli, snap out of it!" Leonard said as he notched an arrow on his bow, and drew the string as he aimed at Dark Lazuli's left knee.

Dark Lazuli's eyes snapped to Leonard's for a second. For a brief moment, Lazuli's eyes flickered from the red to gray, and back to red again. But that moment was all that Leonard needed. He loosed the arrow at Lazuli, the arrow flying in a high arc and falling to hit Lazuli's knee. "Unnngh!" Lazuli grunted, falling to the ground, clutching her pierced knee. Quickly she broke off the shaft and ripped out the arrow mercilessly.

She glared at Leonard and raised her sword to the sky. "Curag—ack!" She began to say, but ended up injuring herself further due to her weakness to the light in her current state. She growled and raised her sword to the sky again.

Mei yelped. "Don't! You'll just hurt yourself more!" She said; her eyes wide as Dark Lazuli cast Curaga again, causing more damage.

Dark Lazuli saw Sora charging her and grinned, red eyes flashing dangerously. She pointed her blade at him. "Magick Frenzy! Blizzaga!" She shouted, pillars of ice coming out of the ground near Sora, knocking him off balance. As he struggled to his feet, Dark Lazuli warped into view behind him, sword raised as she whacked him with the flat of her blade, sending him flying.

Leonard, having charged his power, released it in his newly notched arrow and let the string go, sending the arrow flying at Dark Lazuli. "Ultima Shot!" He growled.

Dark Lazuli's eyes widened as she saw the arrow approaching and raised her sword to block. The arrow collided with Dark Lazuli's blade and exploded from the power, sending her flying. She landed in an unconscious heap.

Sora, getting to his feet, looked at Leonard. "Thanks, Leonard…" He said, before running to Donald to thaw him.

Leonard closed his eyes sadly. "I'm sorry…'Zuli…" He said; before turning his attention to the Oversoul, who was locked in heavy combat with Lini and Gaol.

"Just…DIE already!" Gaol panted for breath before charging the Oversoul again, Lini following close by his side.

The Oversoul hissed in frustration. "_Give up! Can you not see that you are fighting a losing battle? Pathetic souls, I shall take her heart, and with it, her strength!" _The Oversoul screeched, fleeing Gaol and Lini and heading over to Lazuli, who was on her knees, getting healed by Mei. Lazuli seemed to have regained control of her senses.

Lazuli looked at the Oversoul, her gray eyes as sharp as steel. She stood to her feet, Mei having healed her knee, and pointed her blade at the Heartless.

"You will pay dearly for forcing me to hurt my friends, Fiend! It's about time you left this place…permanently! Life!" She said, casting Life on the Oversoul. The Oversoul screeched in pain, reeling away from Lazuli, who had to sink back to her knees from mana exhaustion.

"Finish…it" Lazuli panted, looking at Sora.

Sora looked at her and nodded. "You got it!" he said, dashing at the Oversoul, striking it with his keyblade.

The Oversoul screamed; its voice a combination of all the hearts' owners it had devoured. "C-curse….yo—WRAAAAAAAAGGH!" It said, screaming as it collapsed to the ground, a heart rising from its fading corpse and rising into the sky.

Gaol and Sora looked at each other. "Is it…over?" Gaol asked.

Sora nodded. "For now, that is. We make a good team, huh?" He replied with a grin. Gaol and Lini grinned back.

Leonard ran over to his friend, who was being tended to by the red furred Nu Mou. "Lazuli…? Are you all right?" He asked, his voice tired, yet still worried.

Lazuli shook her head sadly, her eyes filled with tears. Leonard was shocked; he had never known 'Zuli to be one who cries easily. "Do I look alright to you? I'm scum. A lowlife. How can I even look any of you in the eye after I was forced to try to kill you?" She said, sobbing quietly.

Sora, Lini, and Gaol walked over to where Leonard, Mei, and 'Zuli were.

"Get over it! We are friends, right?" Sora asked, grinning. Lazuli looked at him with wide eyes.

"Well…I hope we are. I haven't been much of one for the last three years…" She replied with a faint attempt of a smile.

Gaol looked at Lini and they both nodded. "Well, we were supposed to take you into custody, but I think I know why it seems that the Dark Monsters have appeared in the same area as you. You were tracking down this biggie, weren't you?" He asked.

Lazuli looked at Gaol and nodded. "Y-yeah. I was tracking it down. I had been for the past three years after it…it attacked my home…here." Lazuli replied, struggling to stand up.

"Don't try too hard, now! You just got beat by Clan Light, after all~" Lini chided.

Donald waddled over angrily and glared at Lazuli. "Give me one reason not to fry you right now!" He demanded.

Lazuli smiled at Mei, who had helped her, in thanks, and turned to face Donald. "I don't have a reason…but if you try to use Magick on me, I won't retaliate. Go on; take your best shot, Donald." She said, holding her arms out to the side. But in doing this, she lost balance. Leonard grabbed Lazuli's arm to stabilize her.

Donald looked subdued by Lazuli's response. "No…I'd rather have an apology" He mumbled, shuffling his feet.

Lazuli nodded, got down to one knee, and hugged Donald. "I'm sorry for freezing you, Donald…" She said sadly, letting go of the astonished duck, and standing back up again.

Donald looked at his feet. "A-apology accepted. And you better not freeze me again!" He replied.

Sora looked at Leonard and laughed at the jealous look in Leonard's eyes. "Overprotective brother, huh?" Sora teased, grinning.

Leonard looked at Sora again, his eyes wide. "W-what are you talking about? I told you before, it's not like that!" He protested as Sora, Lini, and Gaol laughed.

Mei tugged on Lazuli's robe. Lazuli looked down, a gentle smile on her face. "Umm…thank you for saving me…" Mei said shyly. Lazuli patted Mei's head and nodded. "No worries, friend. It would've hurt me much worse if I hadn't helped you." She replied.

Leonard sighed. "It looks like we failed the quest huh?" He said, shaking his head. Sora and the others nodded.

Lazuli looked at Sora. "Mei told me this earlier that…I was on a wanted poster…? When did that occur…? Ugh, I'm so confused…" She said; her gentle eyes blank in confusion.

Leonard laughed. "Don't worry, Lazurite, I'll fix this mess." Leonard said; using an old nickname he had given her when they were little.

Lazuli glowered at Leonard. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?" She chided, but the smile returned to her face.

Sora nodded. "Well, people thought that you were responsible for the appearance of the Dark Monsters. Obviously, that isn't the case, so don't worry; Clan Light will sort things out!" He said with a smile.

Gaol cleared his throat. "Lazuli, was it? How about you join me and Lini until things get sorted out? Then you can go back to helping your friends!" He offered, holding his hand out to Lazuli.

Lazuli blinked. "But…who are…you?" She replied, staring at Hume and Moogle blankly.

Lini bowed, paw over his heart. "My name is Lini, Lady Lazuli." He replied.

Gaol chuckled. "Well I guess I forgot to tell you… My name's Gaol. Nice to meet you, Lazurite!" He said.

Lazuli grew flustered. "Not you, too… Don't call me that, please. Just call me Lazuli…" She retorted, yet her voice was gentle.

Gaol laughed and nodded. "Alright, Lazuli. So, want to join us until matters settle?" He said, holding his hand out again.

Lazuli seemed deep in thought, then nodded. "Yeah…that seems like the best option right now. I'll join you, if you accept me, that is." She replied, shaking Gaol's hand.

Gaol nodded. "Welcome to the team, Lazuli!" He said, smiling. "We're ready to leave when you're ready. Let us know when you are." He replied, smiling and walking off a small distance with Lini.

Lazuli nodded and turned to face Sora and the others. "I guess it's settled. I'll join up with Clan Light when the matter settles. Hopefully by then, we can be a team once again as we search for your other friend. I'll miss you all, but I know we'll meet again, this time as friends, not enemies…" She said, turning to leave.

"Is that a promise?" Leonard asked.

Lazuli looked over her shoulder and smiled. "Yeah, consider it…a promise." She said, and left with Gaol and Lini.

_(End of Chapter)_


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